Mothers earn 15% less per child under 5. They're 6x less likely to be recommended for hire. And 8.2x less likely to be promoted.

This isn't about capability—it's about the "maternal wall" bias that assumes mothers can't possibly be both good mothers and good employees.

What if there was a way to bypass this penalty entirely—to keep your demanding career, maintain your promotion trajectory, and still be present for your kids?

In this episode, I'm exposing why the motherhood penalty persists despite decades of progress—and sharing my personal story of how job sharing let me avoid it completely.

In episode 56:

• The real cost: $300,000+ in lifetime earnings lost
• Why the penalty hits hardest during crucial early career years
• The "ideal worker" model that was never built for mothers
• 👩🏽‍💻 3 things mothers can do to combat the penalty (document your value!)
• 📈 4 things employers must do (anti-bias training + salary transparency)
• 💡 How job sharing bypasses the penalty in 5 specific ways
• 💵 My personal story: How I kept my 24/7 media job without downshifting—and it ignited my career

Here's what most people don't understand: Job sharing isn't working part-time in a reduced role. It's restructuring a full-time position to fit your life. And 70%+ of job share teams are promoted together—often faster than solo workers.

Featured Research:

• TIME: "How to Address the Crisis for Working Moms"
• McKinsey Report: "Women in the Workplace"
• National Alliance for Caregiving

Resources:

• FREE Guide to Job Sharing 👉 workmuse.com/guide
• Facing the motherhood penalty? 🤔 DM me on LinkedIn
• Join Work Muse Facebook Community

The motherhood penalty costs women enormously. But you don't have to accept it. Job sharing showed me another way—and it's available to you too.

Episode Website: workmuse.com/56
Transcript: workmuse.com/56transcript

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